How can one be Emperor Chongzhen without money?

Chapter 17 Killing the Tartars! (Please add to your favorites and read on!)

The autumn sun pierced through the thin clouds, but could not dispel the somber atmosphere outside the Santun Camp. Twelve thousand soldiers from the Jizhou Garrison stood in a solid formation, their tattered battle coats fluttering in the wind like tattered flags.

At the front, five hundred Jingjun musketeers stood in three rows. Their brand-new arquebuses and rifles gleamed coldly, but the men holding them were all pale-faced and their fingers trembled uncontrollably.

The three hundred retainers of Duke Zhang Weixian of Yingguo and the two hundred retainers of Duke Zhu Chunchen of Chengguo were together, all wearing fine mountain-patterned armor. Their warhorses pawed the ground restlessly, but the riders' eyes were wandering, and they would look back from time to time at the high platform behind them. Under the Ming yellow dragon flag, Emperor Chongzhen stood with his hand on his sword, dressed in gold-lacquered mountain-patterned armor. His figure was as solid as a rock, and his eyes were like those of a hawk, scanning the front.

"The Tartars are coming!" a shout suddenly rang out from the watchtower.

On the northern horizon, a dark line emerged, like a torrent bursting its banks, rapidly approaching. Five thousand Kharachin cavalrymen kicked up clouds of dust, their hooves shaking the ground. Shu Bu led the charge, a savage grin spreading across his deeply lined face beneath his leather helmet. He saw the Ming army's "beggar soldiers" formation in the distance, and the showy musketeers at the front, his mouth stretching almost to his ears.

What excited him even more was that imperial banner!
Those surnamed Fan and Hou weren't lying; the young emperor of the Ming Dynasty really was that reckless! This group of starving soldiers from Jizhou, who had been starving for thirteen months and had just staged a mutiny, couldn't protect the young emperor at all... The achievements of Grand Tutor Esen were right before their eyes!
"Warriors of the Eternal Heaven!" Shu Bude drew his sword and pointed directly at the yellow banner. "Charge these two-legged sheep! Capture those in golden armor, and the reward will be a thousand head of cattle and sheep, and a hundred slaves!"

"Hooray!" The Mongol cavalry roared like wild beasts, surging in like a black tide. Their iron hooves crushed the withered grass, and the tips of their spears gleamed coldly.

"Hold on! Hold on!" Sun Zushou spurred his horse forward, his roar drowning out the sound of hooves. Behind him, twelve thousand sunken eyes were fixed on the raging torrent. No one retreated! The emperor's words, "One head, one hundred acres of land" and "Fight for your parents, wives, and children," had ignited their fighting spirit!

At the front lines, Tu Wenfu, the chief eunuch of the Imperial Horse Administration, shouted in a shrill, tearful voice, "Fire! Fire!"

"boom!"

The first volley spewed smoke and fire, bullets flew everywhere, and only a handful of riders fell from their horses. Before the smoke had even cleared, the second volley of musketeers was already in chaos due to the pushing and shoving as they retreated, and some in the third volley even dropped their muskets and fled in panic!

"Useless! Useless!" On the high platform, Wei Zhongxian's face turned ashen as he shrieked and cursed.

Shu Bu's maniacal laughter pierced through the smoke: "Hahaha! Charge! Crush them!" The Mongol cavalry charged even more fiercely, the front ranks lowering their bows and spears, their ferocious faces clearly visible, about to break through and crush the Ming army's musket formation!

At the critical moment, dozens of roars, like mountains collapsing and tsunamis crashing down, erupted from the Jizhou infantry formation:

"Fire arrows!"

"Buzz!"

The dense clatter of bowstrings drowned out the horses' hooves! Three thousand arrows soared into the air above the infantry, like a dark cloud of death obscuring the sun! These were not the soft bows of the capital garrison, but deadly arrows fired by veteran soldiers of the border towns with inferior war bows! The arrows whistled as they plunged fiercely into the Mongol arrowhead formation.

"Pfft!" "Ugh!"

Men and horses fell! The charging wave crashed into an invisible reef, instantly caved in. Warhorses neighed and collapsed, riders were thrown and trampled into the mud.

The Mongol cavalry offered sporadic counterattacks, but most were blocked by the tattered rattan shields, door panels, and pot lids of the Ming army's vanguard. The Jizhou garrison soldiers were silent yet fierce, unleashing second and third waves of arrows like the Grim Reaper's scythe, pinning the Mongol cavalry to a death zone fifty paces in front of their lines!

The Mongol "iron cavalry" under Shu Bu's command, who were flying the Later Jin banner, were completely exposed at this moment! They had too little iron! The enemy's bows were not strong enough, and their arrows were not sharp enough, yet they were enough to shoot them down piece by piece. Faced with the broken spear formation of the Jizhou infantry, no Mongol cavalry dared to charge recklessly, but instead turned their horses around and fled.

Shu Bu's contempt turned to shock and anger. He never expected these "beggars" to have such high morale, standing firm against the charge of thousands of Mongols… Had they really not received their pay for thirteen months? Had they fallen into a trap?
Sun Zushou's voice, as sharp as metal, suddenly rang out from behind the formation: "Cavalry, attack!"

"Boom! Boom! Boom!" The war drums beat.

On the left flank, Tu Wenfu led three hundred loyal and brave cavalrymen and Zhu Youjian's three hundred imperial cavalrymen into action. These elite Imperial Horse Guards, whom Wei Zhongxian regarded as his henchmen, unleashed astonishing ferocity at this moment. The leader, Xu Qinian, the commander of the Imperial Guards—though a eunuch—was tall and robust. In his youth, he had accompanied his godfather Tu Wenfu to Liaodong as a military supervisor and had truly witnessed mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

At this moment, he abandoned his fancy ceremonial armor, donned ordinary cotton armor, raised his long-handled saber high, and roared like thunder: "My sons! The time has come to serve our emperor! Kill the Tartars, and we'll gain land! Kill..."

"kill……"

The six hundred elite cavalry of the Loyal and Brave Battalion and the Imperial Guard, like red-hot daggers, charged forward relentlessly, piercing the left flank of the Mongol army, which was thrown into disarray by the delayed arrow rain! Xu Qinian, with his swift horse and heavy blade, cleaved a centurion in two, armor and all, blood splattering everywhere!
The Loyal and Brave Battalion and the Imperial Guard cavalry followed closely behind, slashing and thrusting, creating a bloody storm within the Mongol ranks. Their tactics were haphazard, their formations loose, relying entirely on individual bravery and fearlessness—enough to deal with the Doyan Guard Mongols! At this moment, they were like tigers among sheep, routing the Mongol cavalry, who outnumbered them several times over, forcing them to retreat and throwing their ranks into chaos!
On the right flank, the five hundred retainers of the Duke of Yingguo and the Duke of Chengguo also moved. However, in stark contrast to the resolute charge of the Loyal and Brave Battalion, the five hundred "elite" soldiers trotted at a breakneck pace, their formation loose, their shouts sparse and perfunctory. The trusted retainers of the Zhang and Zhu families leading the charge frequently glanced back at their own lines, their eyes flickering, showing no will to fight.

"Charge! Cut off the Tartar heads!" The head of Zhu Chunchen's household guards managed a weak shout, brandishing his sword at the seemingly weak Mongol flank. Five hundred cavalrymen slowly accelerated, but just as they were about to engage, the front rank of riders suddenly tightened their reins! The warhorses reared up and neighed, throwing the rear ranks into chaos. The Mongols seized the opportunity in the confusion, unleashing a precise rain of arrows, instantly sending dozens of guards screaming as they fell from their horses! "Useless! Useless! Charge forward for me!" On the high platform, Zhu Chunchen, his fat jiggling with rage, stamped his feet and cursed, his face turning a deep purplish-red. The guards at the front, terrified by the Mongol cavalry's fierce counter-charge, turned their horses around and fled back to their own lines! Their ornate armor gleamed in the sunlight, and their retreat was more than twice as fast as their charge! The right flank was wide open!
"It's over..." Zhang Weixian closed his eyes in anguish, his heart turning cold. The rout of five hundred noble retainers was like ice water poured over the Ming army, which had just been invigorated by the bravery of the Loyal and Valiant Battalion. Shu Bu's shrewdness allowed him to seize the opportunity in an instant!

"May the Eternal Heaven protect us! My men, follow me and break through the right flank!" Shu Bu roared, personally leading over a thousand elite cavalrymen straight at the Ming army's vulnerable right flank, exposed by the retreat of their household guards! Once breached, the entire Ming army formation would be cut in half!

A hair's breadth! A matter of life and death!
"Hold on! Li Changgen, bring the spearmen! Block the breach!" Sun Zushou's roar exploded amidst the screams of the right flank on the verge of collapse.

Li Changgen, the centurion who led the mutiny demanding back pay, now led a squad of old soldiers wielding spears over ten feet long, like moving iron thorns, with a death-defying will, fiercely blocking the fatal gap opened by the fleeing soldiers of the noble families!
"Pfft!" "Crack!"

Spears thrust out like a forest, tearing with a dull thud, piercing through the leading Mongol cavalrymen, horse and rider! The mournful neighing of horses mingled with the screams of riders. The Mongol cavalry following behind, unable to stop in time, crashed into the corpses of their comrades and the wall of Ming spears, their fierce charge halted! Li Changgen, standing in the first rank, covered in blood, his spear broken, drew his sword and roared, "Kill the Tartars, exchange them for land… kill!"

With this group of reckless Jizhou garrison warriors holding them back, the Mongol cavalry of Shubu once again revealed their true colors—these vegetarian and Buddhist monks were no match for the high-spirited Ming border army, who were ready to fight to the death!

"Fire arrows!"

The archers behind the right flank seized the opportunity, unleashing a dense volley of arrows. The arrows soared over the heads of the spearmen and slammed into the tightly packed Mongol cavalry. Shubu's mount was struck precisely in the eye socket by an arrow, neighing wildly and throwing him to the ground!
"Master!" The guards hurriedly dismounted and rushed to help him up.

In the center of the battlefield, Xu Qinian's Loyal and Brave Battalion and Imperial Guard Battalion had penetrated deep into the Mongol ranks like sharp knives, charging left and right with unstoppable momentum. Seeing the crisis on the right flank resolved and then witnessing Shu Bu's fall from his horse, his eyes flashed with ferocity, and he roared, "Ignore the flanks! Take the central command flag! Capture and kill Shu Bu!"

He abandoned the worthless Mongol rabble and led his elite guards to turn their horses around, charging straight at the Mongol central army's fluttering Suluding banner! The loyal and brave cavalry and the imperial guards' armored cavalry transformed into invincible daggers, ignoring the arrows fired by the Mongol cavalry on both sides, forcefully carving a bloody path through the enemy ranks, heading straight for Shubu!

"Stop them! Stop them now!" Shu Bu had just been helped onto his spare warhorse by his personal guards when he was shocked to see that the Ming cavalry, covered in arrows and looking like madmen, had broken through several layers of interception and were heading straight for him!

The fear of death gripped the heart of this Kharachin Mongol leader instantly.

His Mongol knights, though shouting "Eternal Heaven" as they charged, were deep down influenced by the Yellow Sect, spending their days fasting and chanting Buddhist scriptures, and were most afraid of the brutal close-quarters combat. They were fine for burning, killing, and looting behind the Jianzhou Jurchens, but when they encountered elite Han troops like Xu Qinian, who charged into battle fearlessly, their ferocity vanished, leaving only panic and cowardice.

"Retreat! Retreat quickly!" Shu Bu, having lost all will to fight, turned his horse and fled wildly towards the northern gap. With their commander fleeing, the morale of the Mongol army completely collapsed! The previously stalemate instantly shifted, and the Mongol cavalry surged northward like a receding tide, leaving behind a field of corpses, wailing warhorses, and abandoned weapons.

"We've won! Your Majesty! We've won!" Wei Zhongxian, who had just followed Chongzhen down from the high platform, shouted shrilly, almost dancing with excitement. Zhang Weixian and Zhu Chunchen also breathed a sigh of relief, their faces showing the joy of surviving a disaster, their backs already soaked with cold sweat.

However, Emperor Chongzhen, now mounted on horseback, had his gaze fixed on the dust and smoke of the fleeing enemy. His face showed no joy of victory, only overwhelming murderous intent.

"Your Majesty, don't pursue a desperate enemy! There might be an ambush!" Zhang Weixian saw through the emperor's thoughts and hurriedly dissuaded him.

"Your Majesty's body is of utmost importance; how can you lightly venture into such a dangerous place! The Tartars have been defeated; we should withdraw our troops and hold our ground to guard against any unforeseen circumstances!" Zhu Chunchen hurriedly echoed, his voice trembling.

Wei Zhongxian rushed to the horse's front, clinging tightly to Chongzhen's horse's legs, tears streaming down his face: "Your Majesty! A son of a noble family should not sit under a dangerous roof! Let General Sun and the others go after them, you must not..."

Chongzhen kicked his horse hard in the belly, and the warhorse reared up in pain, nearly throwing off Wei Zhongxian. He tightened the reins, and his black cloak fluttered in the wind like a battle flag.

He surveyed the crowd, his voice not loud, but carrying an undeniable imperial authority: "A desperate enemy? Let one go today, and tomorrow he'll return with the Jurchen iron hooves! Issue my decree..."

He pointed his whip sharply at the dust and smoke of the fleeing enemy to the north: "Pursue them! Take no prisoners! Take no living ones! I only want the dead! One genuine enemy head, one hundred acres of farmland! One head, one imperial guard badge! Kill them all! Exterminate them! Leave no one alive!"

"Long live! Long live! Long live!" The soldiers of Jizhou, fresh from a bloody battle, roared with deafening fury. Exhaustion and pain were cast aside, their eyes filled only with a mad thirst for land, future, and revenge! Even the noble retainers who had fled back were now driven to a bloodshot rage by the overwhelming killing intent and the bounty on their heads!
Sun Zushou was the first to react, raising his saber high and shouting like thunder: "Men! Follow me! Kill the Tartars, exchange them for land! Kill...!"

"Kill the Tartars! Exchange for land!"

"Avenge your dead brother!"

More than 10,000 Ming soldiers, like a flood bursting its banks, swept towards the fleeing Mongol cavalry with boundless hatred and greed—to avenge grudges and gain merit even without them!
(End of this chapter)